Newport, RI The American Council of Engineering Companies of Rhode Island (ACEC-RI), a professional association representing 43 engineering firms doing business in Rhode Island, named the recipients of the 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards.  These awards recognize engineering achievements that demonstrate a high degree of merit and ingenuity and contribute to the infrastructure of Rhode Island and the surrounding communities.  The award titles are designed in recognition of the Rhode Island State Flag and commemorate the state’s engineering history.  The following awards were presented at the ACEC-RI Annual Meeting by executive director Marcel Valois.

The awards luncheon was held at the O’Club, the Officers Club at the Newport Naval Station. The keynote speaker was Linda Bauer- Darr, president and CEO of ACEC.  She gave an update on the status of the national initiatives being undertaken by ACEC to demonstrate the impact that engineering has on communities and the advocacy that is being done for national infrastructure improvements.  She encouraged attendees to be cognizant of the need for firms to clearly explain projects and the innovative practices that are improving the state’s communities.   

The 1^st place Gold Anchor Award for a Project with Construction Costs of More than $10M was awarded to Gordon Archibald, Inc. for the Apponaug Bypass in Warwick on behalf of the R.I. Department of Transportation. Cardi Corp.served as the contractor and ACEC-RI member firm Paul Aldinger & Associates provided geotechnical engineering services.  

The 1^st place Gold Anchor Award for a Project with Construction Costs of Less than $10M was awarded to Fuss & O’Neill for the Bradford Dam Removal and Rock Ramp Fishway Passage in Westerly and Hopkinton on behalf of the Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island.

The 2^nd place Blue Ribbon Hope Award for a Project with Construction Costs of More than $10M was awarded to DiPrete Engineering, with BETA Group, Inc. and Pare Corp., for the Citizens Bank Corporate Campus in Johnston. Elkus Manfredi was the architect, Dimeo Construction Co. served as construction manager, construction was completed by DiGregorio Corp., and ACEC-RI member firm GZA supported the project.

The 2^nd place Blue Ribbon Hope Award for a Project with Construction Costs of Less than $10M was awarded to Pare Corporation for the Providence Police Department Firing Range Lead Remediation and Facility Upgrades in Scituate on behalf of the Providence Water Supply Board.  Dimeo Construction served as the construction manager, Manafort Brothers was the contractor, and ACEC-RI member firms DiPrete Engineering and PRIME AE Group supported the project.

The 3^rd place Gold Star Award for Outstanding Professional Design Excellence for a Project with Construction Costs of More than $10 Million was presented to VHB for the Engineering Research Center for Brown University.  The project architect was KieranTimberlake and Shawmut Design was the construction manager.

The 3^rd place Gold Star Award for Outstanding Professional Design Excellence for a Project with Construction Costs of Less than $10 Million was presented to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. for the Padanaram Causeway Rehabilitation Project on behalf of the Town of Dartmouth, MA. ACEC-RI member firm GZA provided geotechnical engineering services.  

  The meeting also included the election of new officers and directors for the coming year. 

Marcel Valois, Executive Director (ACEC-RI)

Joseph D’Alesio, P.E., President (BETA Group Inc.)

Kenneth DeCosta, P.E., National Director (Pare Corp.)

Brendan Ennis, P.E. (CDM-SMITH)

Walter Heller, P.E.  (Stantec)

Jeff Lewis, P.E., Secretary (Garofalo & Associates)

Thomas Pechillo, P.E. (BL Companies 

Louis Ragozzino, P.E. (Wright-Pierce)

Todd Ravenelle, P.E., Treasurer (Gordon R. Archibald, Inc.)

John Shevlin, P.E., Honorary Past President (Pare Corp.) 

Robert Smith, P.E. (McMahon Associates)

Patty Steere, P.E., Vice President (Steere Engineering, Inc.)

Joseph Wanat, P.E., PTOE, (VHB)

Robert Wright, P.E. (AECOM ) 

ACEC-RI, established in 2016, is a member organization of the national American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) based in Washington, DC, which represents more than 600,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors and other specialists as the voice of the engineering industry through government advocacy, political action, and business education.